HMCS Oakville (K178)

HMCS "Oakville" (K178) was a Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette which took part in convoy escort duties during World War II.

"Oakville" was laid down by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co., Port Arthur on 21 December 1940 and was launched on 21 June 1941. She was commissioned into the RCN on 18 November 1941.

"Oakville" is credited with sinking U-94 on August 28, 1942 in the Caribbean Sea.

"Oakville" was paid off from the RCN and decommissioned on 20 July 1945. She was sold in 1946 to Venezuela as "Patria". The ship's bell disappeared prior to the sale and remains missing.

"Oakville" was integral to the attempted capture and sinking of U-94

Attempted Capture and Sinking of U-94

On 28 August 1942, in the company of American Warships and the corvettes HMCS Halifax and HMCS SNOWBERRY, the corvette HMCS Oakville was escorting a convoy off Haïti when it attacked U-94. The submarine, which had been on the point of attacking the convoy, was first spotted and bombarded by an American seaplane. Oakville dropped depth charges to force it to surface, and after bombarding it, rammed the submarine twice. The submarine, struck by a depth charge on the surface, gave up the fight. A boarding party was dispatched to seize the vessel.

Eleven sailors, under the command of SLt H.E.T. Lawrence and PO A.J. Powell, [http://images.oakville.halinet.on.ca/details.asp?ID=14343&number=5] leapt onto the deck of the crippled U-94 and rushed toward the conning tower, which was riddled by shellfire. After clearing away the dead bodies covering the hatchway, Lawrence and Powell headed below. They were then surprised by two Germans who emerged from an escape hatch. After ordering them to back inside, the Canadians opened fire on the two men, who were dashing toward them.

The German crew, in a panic at the thought that the U-boat could sink at any moment, surrendered quickly. Despite the danger, Lawrence went searching for the Enigma machine and documents. But finding that U-94 had been scuttled, he retraced his steps, having to swim to the ladder which led to the conning tower. After giving the order to abandon ship, Lawrence leapt into the water just before the submarine went down. The Allied sailors and the 19 German survivors were recovered by OAKVILLE and the American destroyer USS LEA. [http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/community/MapleLeaf/vol_9/vol9_29/929_14.pdf]

References

* [http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hague/search3.php?query=Oakville&Submit=Find+Vessel HMCS "Oakville" (K178) on the Arnold Hague database at convoyweb.org.uk.]